In recent years, a digital multifunctional peripheral (MFP) having a plurality of functions including a copy function, a printer function, a facsimile function, and a scanner function has become popular. The MFP is provided with a large document platen so that documents comprising sheets of paper up to A3 size can be read normally. When performing copy with this MFP, a user closes a document cover with a document set on the document platen to execute scanning.
At this time, the document cover is closed to hide the document so that the user can not see the document. Thus, the user can leave the document set on the document platen behind carelessly after obtaining a copy. Especially, when copying a relatively small-sized document, such as a driver's license, a name card and an L-sized picture, the document is often left behind without being noticed the existence thereof.
Meanwhile, an input display in which a relatively small-sized liquid crystal panel has a function for reading a document placed on a screen in addition to a conventional display function for displaying image data on the screen attracts public attention (for example, refer to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-179977). When a portable terminal such as a PDA is mounted with this input display, a card-sized document can be easily read and captured. Note that, the input display generally employs an area sensor. The area sensor captures an image of an object through a photoelectric conversion element provided on a plane as electric signal and therefore does not need to scan the photoelectric conversion element as it is different from a line sensor and it does not need a motor and the like for scanning.
An operation portion of the MFP is generally provided with a liquid crystal display portion with a touch panel in many cases. Since this portion is directly operated by a user, it is said that this portion catches user's eye most often. When the above-mentioned reading function is provided in the liquid crystal display portion, it is possible to read and capture a relatively small-sized document such as a driver's license. In this case, it is not necessary to set a document on a document platen each time, thus making it possible to easily read the document, further, since the liquid crystal display portion catches user's eye most often, it becomes possible to prevent the document from being left behind.
However, in the conventional technique including the technique described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-179977, since it is not considered to use the input display in combination with the MFP, the document can not be read on a liquid crystal display portion of the MFP.
Furthermore, in a normal operation of the MFP, since various operation keys are displayed on the screen of the liquid crystal display portion, when a document is simply placed on the screen, there is a problem that the various operation keys are hidden by the document to interrupt the operation.